Im an East Coast P-3 guy that is currently deployed to Iraq. I dont know how much you know about P-3's but in Mar 04' the Navy enacted a flight hours restriction, limiting each airframe to 86.4hrs a month. They also reduced the pilots per squadron to 30 in an effort to maintain a level of currency in the squadron pilots. This is how it really worked. With a limited amount of flight hours on the airplane pilots are getting less hours and needed experience. There are less people to do the "ground" work of the squadron so you get even more paper-work which makes you even more task saturated on a daily basis. The extra work is a result of having about 10 less people in the squadron, and all of that while still having all of your responsibility in the air. Your sole purpose as an aviator is to qualify as a co-pilot, then patrol plane pilot and ultimately a patrol plane commander. It takes about 2yrs to make PPC.

When OIF fired up everyone was calling for the P-3, so out we came. They started allowing planes to fly more than the 86.4, which is good, but they also began extending to places all over the world. That means youre living in a tent and eating MRE's side by side with Marines. Im not saying thats bad, but thats not what a typical P-3 deployment used to be like. A typical Sigonell, Italy/Puerto Rico deployment of yester-year would consist of detatchments for up to 3 weeks to places like, Norway, Spain, Greece, Germany, Ecuador and even back home for a little bit. Today's post 9/11 world puts people and airplanes anywhere they are needed regardless of the particular service.

On another note, the Army has complained enough to the DOD that the Navy is not pulling their fair share of weight in this OIF/OEF thing, so now there is such thing as a 1yr set of orders to Afghanistan and Iraq as a ground liason officer. Some of those people are being trained as IED Intradiction officers, and Im still trying to figure out what that has to do with the aviation contract I signed. Im about to finish a 6 moth deployment to some pretty well talked about areas, and now Im sweating a 1yr set of orders back to those places.

Im all about my service to the country and my time in the Navy has been a great experience. The people that you meet and the friends you make are what make you want to go to work. You will make life-long friends with people from all over the country and world, but life in the military, and even more true post 9/11, is always changing. Whats true of the Navy and Marines typical lifestyles of yesterday will change tomorrow.

Good luck with your decision.